Lewis Hamilton says he is trapped in a “nightmare” after his first season at Ferrari took another “disastrous” turn in Brazil.
Hamilton only qualified 13th, then collided with the back of Alpine driver Franco Colapinto at the end of the opening lap at Interlagos.
The seven-time world champion broke his front wing, falling to last place, before he was forced to withdraw from the race due to irreparable damage sustained in the collision.
Stewards deemed him “fully responsible” for the accident, and he was given a five-second penalty and one point on his licence.
Hamilton (40 years old) said: “This is a nightmare, and I have been living it for a while.
“Going between the dream of leading this amazing team, and then the nightmare of the results we have achieved, the ups and downs, is difficult.
“This weekend has been disastrous and disappointing for everyone. I’m trying to keep my head above water and stay positive.”
Hamilton is now without a third place in 21 appearances for Ferrari since his move from Mercedes.
He trails teammate Charles Leclerc, who was third when he was eliminated from the race, by 66 points in the world championship.
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Hamilton continued: “Charles did a great job in qualifying, so there is some performance in that car.
“At this point, I have to believe that something will come out of all the difficulties we have been through. I am sure that we are destined to achieve something positive in the future.
“Maybe we will shake off all our bad luck this year… who knows? We will not give up and we will come back fighting in the next race.”
